We invited Get Ahead readers to share quick-fix office recipes with us -- easily-prepared foods that takes less than an hour to whip up before you head to work in the morning. We've been flooded with responses and as part of an ongoing series, present three lunch recipes that you can carry in your dabba.
Here's how to prepare Stir-Fried Chicken with Pineapple and Peppers by Nan Nan:
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried
- 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soya sauce
Method of preparation:
- In a wok or a large skillet, heat the vegetable or peanut oil.
- Next add the ginger and cook for about 10 seconds.
- Add the pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
- Put in the chicken strips and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
- Add the pineapple and soya sauce and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- You can also top the dish off with chopped scallions (spring onions).
Jayashree Mukund sent in this recipe for Pea Chaat:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup boiled peas
- 1 boiled and mashed potato
- 1 thinly sliced onion
- 2 chopped green chillies
- *1 tsp tomato sauce
- 1 tsp chillie powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 tsp chaat masala powder
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves and sev to garnish
Method of preparation:
- In a kadhai, heat the cooking oil and fry the jeera, green chillies and onions. Set aside.
- Next, mix the peas and mashed potato in a bowl, adding in the jeera, chillies and onions.
- Also add the chillie powder and chaat masala powder.
- Top off with tomato ketchup, garnish with coriander leaves and sev. Then serve.
- Here's a tip -- you can substitute sprouted dal instead of the peas if you wish.
And finally, we have this Pasta in White Sauce recipe from Amita Manral:
Ingredients:
- 1 bowl boiled pasta (bring water to boil,add salt and pasta,drain excess water ,add oil and let it cool)
- 1 bowl boiled veggies (green peas, french beans, carrots, mushrooms etc)
- 3 tbsps corn flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1tsp olive oil
- Oregano to taste
- Salt to taste
Method of preparation:
- For those of you who don't know how to cook pasta -- just immerse in in water, bring to a boil and add salt. Once it's cooked, drain off the water, add a little oil to prevent it from sticking together and let it cool.
- In a pan, heat the olive oil and boiled vegetables. Add salt to taste and the boiled pasta. Sauté for a few minutes.
- In another pan, heat the butter and while it is melting, add in the cornflour, stirring continuously. Keep adding a little water to the flour if it starts becoming too thick, then add pepper powder.
- Add the white sauce to the pasta and garnish with oregano and grated cheese if required.
- Your Pasta in White Sauce is ready.
Method of preparation: Do you have any quick-fix preparations that you'd like to share with us and other readers? It has to be something appetising and easily whipped up (in under an hour). Simply mail in your tiffin recipe ideas to getahead@rediff.co.in and we'll publish them right here on rediff.com
Channel your inner chef and help people economise without compromising on their meals!